F eature Story

The Spirit of Tennessee

...the future of Tennessee whiskey: better and better, more and more.

By Eric Dorman

T
here’s nothing quite like Tennessee whiskey. Not only is the flavor
in general unbeatable (okay, so I’m biased), but it’s also an
important part of our economy. In fact, whiskey is one of Tennessee’s
top 10 exports. The revenues from export alone exceed $1 billion a
year and the total revenue exceeds $2.4 billion (which means that
Tennesseans drink a fair amount of what’s being produced, as it should
be).

Of course, there are the big guys, Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel,
and we love them, but some new players are starting to creep into (or
at least back into) the market. The newer folks aren’t really trying
to compete with Jack Daniel’s, in truth. Instead, they’re focused on
the artistry and history of Tennessee distilling, quality over
quantity (and that’s not an indictment on the major
distilleries—different people serve different markets, and that’s a
beautiful thing).

Smaller producers hone their craft and specialize. In our
post-Prohibition world, people are free to pursue different aspects of
distilling, and these folks are popping up throughout Middle
Tennessee, each with something unique to offer, without the pressure
of endless growth and conformity. Some use warehouse space in urban
centers, while others make their homes in more rustic, rural
counties. It’s not just about taste anymore, but about the overall
experience. To truly appreciate these new or returning whiskeys to the
maximum level, it helps to immerse yourself in their space, surrounded
by the smells, the charred barrels and the people who make the product
with care.

Take, for example, Nelson’s Greenbrier Distillery in Nashville, maker
of the famed Belle Meade Bourbon. Despite reappearing relatively
recently on the liquor scene, Nelson’s has a rich history in
Tennessee. Charles Nelson immigrated with his family to the United
States from Northern Germany when he was 15. His father, Joseph,
unfortunately drowned in transit, and Charles became the primary
provider for his family.

Charles quickly learned new trades and skills, and eventually bought a
distillery in Greenbrier, Tennessee. After Charles died and his wife
became one of the only women to run a distillery, Tennessee passed a
prohibition law and Greenbrier had to close its doors. Nearly 100
years later, Charles’s descendants, Andy and Charlie, visited
Greenbrier to find the warehouse standing and the spring still
running. They’d discovered their destiny, and resolved to breathe new
life into the forgotten family business.

Three years later, exactly 100 years after Greenbrier closed its
doors, Andy and Charlie reopened in Nashville, offering excellent
tours with generous pours, as well as bottling some of the best
bourbon in the state. Nelson’s is where old meets new, where history
meets the future. It’s a quintessential 20th and 21st century
Tennessee story.

Actually, Short Mountain is only Tennessee’s sixth distillery since
Prohibition, opening up in 2010. The catch was that Billy wanted to
open the distillery in Cannon County, which was dry at the time. Billy
initiated a movement, built support, and got his neighbors to vote on
a referendum to allow the distillation of spirits, and shortly
thereafter opened Short Mountain Distillery.

Billy has adapted to the changing spirits market in Tennessee by
focusing on excellence rather than expansion. “Being one of the
original distilleries, I saw an opportunity, and I thought it was a
great idea,” Billy says. “Since then, there’s quite a bit more
competition, but for me, it’s not about selling more and more. It’s
about getting better and better.”

It’s fair to say, though, that Short Mountain is growing—perhaps not
in the amount of spirits it’s producing, but in how those spirits are
made, and in how the distillery is improving the experience for
everyone who comes through its door.

“We’re using better ingredients, refining what we’re doing, and making
the journey to Short Mountain as fine of an experience as possible,”
Billy says. “We opened up a restaurant, and we do special tours and
cocktail classes, and give people a lot of one-on-one attention. So
it’s not about getting millions of people to drink my product. It’s
more about being innovative and exceptional.”

Billy is committed to the enterprise and advancement of spirits
production outside of his own operation, too. He was the founder of
the Tennessee Distillers Guild, which comprises nearly every
distillery in Tennessee. Its mission is to responsibly promote and
advocate for the distilling industry in Tennessee.

“We’ve had to fight for parity with beer and wine in the eyes of the
state, and that’s what we’re doing,” Billy says. The guild has also
come together to create the Tennessee Whiskey Trail.